Having Fun In The Florida Sun Means Sunscreen, But Which One

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - With Summer-like temperatures this Spring, more and more people are spending days the beach, at parks, boating, or just being outside in general.

The one thing they can't forget before heading out is the sunscreen.

Before Lindsay Long lets her child have some fun in the sun, she makes sure he slathered in sunscreen for his protection.

"I just try to reapply it every two hours or as directed on the label just to make sure they stay covered," she said.

With so many varieties on the market, it can be hard to pick the right one. Consumer Reports' Trish Calvo said they tested more than 80 sunscreens to reach their list of recommendations.

"A sunscreen that gets an Excellent rating and a high overall score is one that provides excellent protection against the UVB rays that cause sunburn, the UVA rays that cause aging, and skin cancer," she said.

Calvo also said that the sunscreen has to stay true to its SPF level.

This year the French company La Roche-Posay was the top-rated lotion with a perfect score of 100 and a cost of $36 a bottle.

But you can find recommended sunscreens for much less like Equate, which runs about seven dollars a bottle. Among the sprays, Trader Joe's SPF 50 got the top score and costs six dollars a bottle.

Other well-known names are also recommended but Calvo said you don't want to shop just by brand.

The Coppertone Ultra Guard lotion got an excellent score of 94 but the company's Water Babies product received a fair rating of 32.

"Every sunscreen has its own formulation and set of active ingredients and that really affects its performance," said Calvo.

Experts agree even the best sunscreen is only effective if you use enough for proper coverage and make sure to reapply it as instructed on the bottle.